


Darkest Roads

by lonelylivesofthewicked



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: (oh my god they were neighbors), Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, F/M, and they were neighbors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:29:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25676623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonelylivesofthewicked/pseuds/lonelylivesofthewicked
Summary: Leaving Mystic Falls behind after a life-changing accident, Caroline has relocated to Chicago to be with her best friend Bonnie and for a fresh start. She wasn't anticipating dealing with an insanely hot neighbor and his disastrous family.
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett/Kol Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 16
Kudos: 108





	1. Out of the Wreckage

**Author's Note:**

> Story title from 'Graveyard' by Halsey.
> 
> Chapter title from 'Time Bomb' by All Time Low.

Caroline Forbes never thought of herself as someone who ran from her problems. Cautiously avoid, stubbornly refuse to acknowledge an issue, yes, but never completely run off.

That had changed, apparently.

Two full days of arranging furniture and organizing every small item she owned left Caroline exhausted. Her mom had offered to help, but Caroline hadn’t wanted her to have to take time off work. And, if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t want to see her mother’s worried looks or be asked how she was. Just hearing her ask over the phone almost reduced her to tears, and that would not inspire confidence in her mom or herself.

Thankfully, the bit of distance they had now meant that phone calls could be handled with a lot more ease. She had about an hour before she could reasonably go to bed, so she set a timer for some pizza rolls in the oven, got comfortable on her armchair, and called her mom.

Two rings passed and then, “Caroline, how’s the new place?”

Liz had a false cheer to her voice. Caroline knew because, well, she’d inherited it from someone after all. The move had been hard on both of them, but she appreciated the effort her mom made to keep the worry and sadness from her voice.

“It’s wonderful,” she replied, picking at her nails. “I can’t believe this place was available. My research will help keep me on budget.” Before moving, she’d searched average rental prices, grocery store trips, restaurants, public transport, anything she could on the city. Calculating her new job’s salary into those estimates left her feeling confident in renting a place a little pricier than she normally would have chosen.

“You’re nothing if not a dedicated planner.” The affection in her mom’s voice made her feel warm. “I remember when you would make charts for school…”

While Caroline and Liz recounted some of her more, say, _intense_ quirks, the former pulled her notebook designated for lists, jotting down a quick grocery list. Her trip from yesterday had been bare essentials—a handful of frozen meals, a box of cereal, milk—and she wanted to make sure she didn’t eat just junk food, as tempting as it may be.

The timer went off. She bounced up to pull her pizza rolls out, tossing her notebook onto the coffee table. All the while, her mom chatted pleasantly. She almost didn’t want to hang up after arranging the rolls onto a plate, but she was raised with manners and refused to talk with food in her mouth.

“Hey, Mom, I just finished making dinner, so I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Wait! Before you go…” She steeled herself for what she knew was coming. “Are you feeling okay? Moving is so stressful, and you’re still not quite yourself…” Her words faded into a silence that was anything but comfortable.

“I’m fine, Mom,” she insisted, injecting a little extra perkiness into her voice. “I really am. I’m just ready to get started on this part of my life. I love you, and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

A pause. “Love you too, sweetie. Sweet dreams.”

A heavy weight settled in her chest as she hung up. She turned a sitcom on to keep herself distracted while she ate, and after two episodes she turned it off and washed her plate. She followed her usual bedtime routine, brushing her teeth, slipping into plush pajamas, and laying out everything she needed for the next day. All the necessities for her new job were placed meticulously on her dresser, and she made sure to set multiple alarms for herself. Finally, she snuggled deep into her pillows to get some well-deserved rest.

_She was back in Mystic Falls, in the passenger seat of Tyler’s car, his knuckles white against the steering wheel._

_“Slow down!” She shouted, gripping the handle above the window. He was flying through the streets, making Caroline cringe with every sharp turn and sudden stop. “Tyler, you’re scaring me!”_

_“I can’t let you go, Care, I can’t. I won’t!”_

_There was a madness in his eyes as he shot a frantic look at her that terrified her infinitely more than his reckless driving. She felt a trail of true fear lick down her spine. She had only ever seen this side of Tyler a handful of times before, and he usually calmed down when he realized how frightened it made her. This time, it only fueled his controlling nature further._

_“I won’t let you leave me! I can’t live without you!” He twisted the steering wheel, turning the car again, and sending Caroline careening into the passenger door. A cry escaped her lips at the pain shooting through her shoulder. He looked at her, a touch of concern softening the crazed emotion in his eyes. “Caroline, are you—”_

_The screech of tires and sickening sound of crunching metal—_

Caroline woke with a start, her alarms having jolted her from her dream. She was covered in sweat. She kicked her comforter off, needing to feel the cool air on her skin. She sat up and tried desperately to shake the phantom pain in her body away.

“Hummingbird Drive, Oak Street, Mead Lane,” she whispered, clutching her chest. She repeated the words over and over until her heart rate returned to its normal rhythm.

What a horrible way to kickoff her first day of work.

* * *

Her new job hadn’t been nearly as intimidating as Caroline had anticipated. She had worn a nice blouse with dress pants to be safe, since she hadn’t really been briefed on the standard office wear. After stepping inside, she saw it was more casual than anticipated—those milling about wore a mixture of summer dresses, relax-fit pants, blouses, and button-ups. Formal, but still less stuffy than a middle-management office environment.

Her boss, Pearl, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, gave her a tour of the surprisingly modern office floor. She always pictured claustrophobic cubicles and beige coating every surface when she heard the word ‘office,’ but this was anything but. Each worker had a small office with a fogged glass door with a window next to it, blinds on the windows for privacy. Sleek, top-of-the-line computers sat on each beautifully carved wooden desk, and walls of the entire place were covered in an array of colors, with abstract designs splattering the walls artfully and stunning plants placed meticulously around the space.

Caroline was introduced to a few coworkers along the way, and given the office rules: always start another pot of coffee if you’ve taken the last of it, be courteous to coworkers, keep drama outside unless it pertains to work, and don’t abuse the honor code. At the end of the tour, Pearl deposited Caroline at her new desk and went back to her office.

She spent most of her day familiarizing herself with the computer system, setting up her employee account, and making lists for everything she wanted to bring into the office. It didn’t feel like an entire day, but when she finished it was ten minutes until the office closed.

Caroline prepared to leave, grabbing her purse and waving to Pearl, still in her office. She glanced at her phone to read her messages, and—

“Hey, Caroline! Long time no see.”

Her head snapped up. Under her doorway was someone she hadn’t seen in almost a decade—beautiful dark skin, green eyes, an air of power about her. Bonnie Bennett.

A wide smile broke across Caroline’s face as she jumped and enveloped her childhood friend in a long hug. Bonnie had lived in Mystic Falls until she was twelve, when her mom, Abby, decided that motherhood wasn’t in her repertoire—something she should’ve figured out _before_ having a child, but hindsight and all—and her grandmother had stepped in. Sheila, known to Bonnie as Grams, took custody of her granddaughter when it became clear that Bonnie’s father couldn’t handle raising her properly. Unfortunately, that meant Bonnie had to move to the city with Sheila to be brought up in the society that she’d inherit when Sheila passed. The Bennetts had a centuries-old reputation in this city, and Bonnie needed to understand the legacy she was born into, without having a repeat of Abby’s mistakes. It had been hard on Caroline, having her closest friend taken from her at the time when they both needed each other the most. She never really did find a proper replacement to confide in. Letters and phone calls only did so much, but they were both faithful to keeping in touch regardless of distance or time. The last time they’d seen each other was when they were fifteen, teetering on the delicate age line where they desperately wanted to be adults without a shred of understanding about what it was really like. Two weeks they spent together, rehashing drama Bonnie had missed in Mystic Falls, explaining to Caroline how to tell the difference between her private school’s silver-spoon kids and the misunderstood. Saying goodbye hadn’t been easy, and with a decade hanging between them now, Caroline was overtaken with the feeling that they would never let that much time pass by again.

Bonnie had been the kickstarter to Caroline’s concrete plan to move out of Mystic Falls. Thoughts of leaving had always been present, but it wasn’t until Bonnie mentioned an opening at the event planning company that most of the prominent families in the city used that a real plan took hold. After everything that had happened, moving felt like the only way she would ever have a life that didn’t have a dark cloud hanging over her. Two months from that moment led to this reunion.

Caroline finally released her oldest friend, but the silly smile stayed.

“I knew you started today, so I was hoping we could go grab a drink and celebrate?” Bonnie asked, hope alighting her eyes. “There is a pretty nice bar just down the street.”

“Yes, of course,” Caroline replied, grabbing Bonnie for another quick hug. It almost felt like a dream, being together again and she needed an anchor to remind herself that it was real.

The bar down the street was close enough that they decided to walk it. The two walked the short distance with Caroline talking excitedly the whole way. Her babbling earned a loving smile from Bonnie, who was relieved to see that time and trauma hadn’t dimmed Caroline’s shine.

An order for two glasses of wine and an open booth later, discussion flowed between the two women freely, until a topic change made both of them shift uncomfortably.

“How have you been since the accident?” Bonnie had wanted to ask more about it since Liz first called and told her the barest of details. Only the knowledge that pushing for answers could hurt Caroline more, she’d kept her curiosity and worry out of their phone calls.

The carefree smile Caroline had worn since first seeing her friend faded, although she did try to slip a reassuring one on. “I’m doing great. No sign of permanent damage.” Her words were clipped despite trying to sound normal, and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to pick at the scar on her left arm.

The concern in her friend’s eyes was almost too much to bear. “I won’t berate you with questions about it. I just wanted to check in.” Bonnie lightly smacked their table with her hands. “Done! I know just the thing to lighten the mood.” She went off in the direction of the bar.

Caroline groaned when the girl returned with a tray of shots. “Please tell me you’ve developed a drinking problem.”

“Afraid not,” Bonnie informed her, handing one of the shot glasses to Caroline while lining one up for herself. “Remember the night we last saw each other in Mystic Falls? You drank me under the table.”

“I _also_ recall me spending the next day hanging over a toilet. And you laughed when I told you about it!”

A shrug. “I told you to take it easy.”

“You were egging me on! The only saving grace to that story is that my mom wasn’t home, otherwise I would’ve been grounded for an eternity.”Thankfully, Liz didn’t return home until midnight, when Caroline’s hangover had finally dissipated the hour before and fallen asleep.

“Your mom’s not here now, and you’re not fifteen anymore.” There was a challenge in Bonnie’s eyes, and it was confirmed when she said in a sing-song voice, “Don’t be a coward!”

Caroline narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t turn down a challenge, and she _really_ hated being called a coward, and damn it, Bonnie knew that. Taking a deep breath, she threw the shot back, feeling the sting of tequila slide down her throat. Before she could overthink it, she repeated the action with a fresh glass.

Bonnie was whooping and cheering loudly. “That’s my girl!” She downed her own shot in solidarity.

“You will be the death of me, Bennett.” Her skin was already tingling from the tequila.

“I will write you a kick-ass eulogy.”

“Now, now, beautiful, death is an awful drinking subject.”

The two girls turned from each other and eyed the dark-haired dark-eyed man arriving at their table. He had a smile that could devour someone whole, and his eyes screamed ‘danger.’ Teenage Caroline would have been all over him, and the British accent would’ve had her hopping on him in seconds. Caroline’s eyes flitted to her friend and saw playful annoyance contorting her face.

“You would know, since you practically live in a bar. The last time I was at your place you had more scotch bottles in your living room than three bars combined.” The mystery man smiled sinfully, earning him an eye roll. Bonnie gave Caroline an apologetic look before introducing the two, “Kol, this is Caroline, my best friend from my hometown. Caroline, this is Kol, my sometimes friend and a huge pain in my ass.”

“I’m touched by your endearment, darling.” He added a wink, and then turned to the blonde. “I am delighted to meet you, Caroline. Any friend of the little witch is a friend of mine, especially a tasty little thing like you.”

A bit of shock ran through her as she processed his blunt nature. She was used to guys hitting on her, but the combination of abrasive and charming was disorienting. She quickly shook it off.

“I would say the same except I don’t find creeps delightful,” she replied, an acerbic smile topping it off.

Kol laughed instead, taking no real insult. “Feisty, you are. Bonnie, how have you kept this creature away from me for so long? Were you afraid she would replace you in my heart?” He placed a hand over his heart for effect, crying out, “Love, you doth outshine the sun, therefore none maiden too fair may steal you from thine arms!”

The stare Bonnie gave him could have stopped a train, but Kol remained unfazed, looking down at the alcohol already at the table. Four shots of tequila and the wine glasses remained.

“If you’re going to drink, you at least need to make it interesting.” His smile was anything but encouraging, but Caroline found herself getting drawn in anyway.

“What did you have in mind?”

* * *

Two hours and several rounds of truth or consequences later, the trio had passed well beyond tipsy into drunk territory. Caroline hadn’t planned on staying that long, nor drinking as much as she did. Kol had an easygoing personality that made hanging out with him a blast, his penchant for blatant sexual comments aside. The tequila definitely helped skew her decision in his favor.

The wine was long gone, and there were more shots ready. Bonnie and Kol sat together on one side of the booth, Caroline watching them closely. He seemed to always be touching her friend in some way—arms close, the brushing of hands, playful knocks against the knees—and Bonnie didn’t seem to mind. Considering he was hitting on both of them openly though made it difficult to ascertain if he had a genuine interest or if that was just his nature.

It was Caroline’s turn in the game, and Kol only thought for a moment before asking, “What is the dirtiest sexual fantasy you’ve ever had?”

Her face heated, although it wasn’t obvious since the alcohol already made her flushed. There was no way she would be giving Kol that kind of ammunition against her. She glared, and downed another shot, steeling herself for her consequence. His delighted grin did not bode well.

“My dear, your consequence shall be…” He drummed his fingers on the table, drawing out the torture, and Bonnie even joined in. “Letting me do a shot from your belly button.”

“You can’t keep suggesting that! It’s against the rules!” If it actually was or not, she wasn’t sure, but it should be. She’d done an extra shot to get out of it before, and the amount of alcohol in her system was starting to make his suggestion sound fun, so she had to resolutely stand on the side of _never in a million years_.

Kol accusingly pointed a finger at her. “Killjoy.” He turned his head. “Bonnie girl!” Bonnie flinched at the volume. “What should we make Caroline do?”

Bonnie, the most sober of the three, gave him a sad look. “We should make her go home.” He began to protest and she flicked him on the nose. “Don’t interrupt me! I don’t want to spend the rest of the night watching Caroline get her stomach pumped, and I’m sure she wouldn’t find it a pleasing experience.”

Kol rubbed his nose and began to protest, “Oh, don’t be a spoilsport, Bonnie lass. I’d love to do a body shot off you too, but my face is still stinging from the last time I asked.”

Bonnie rolled her eyes while Caroline watched their back and forth with fascination. The fact that Kol was multiplying in front of her eyes meant little when their dynamics were so fascinating. She was kind of surprised that of all the people Bonnie could have befriended, Kol ended up in that batch. She wanted to ask exactly how they’d met—somehow it hadn’t come up before—but the churning in her gut said it was time to call it a night.

“Bon is right,” she declared, grabbing her purse and standing up from the booth. She only wobbled slightly as she stood. “Is there a pizza place around here?” She tried looking it up on her phone but the damn letters wouldn’t stay still and she needed pizza, damn it.

“Easy there, Care.” Bonnie came over and helped her stay upright. “We’ll grab you a pizza and make sure you get home safely. Did you drive to work?”

She shook her head, the movement making her world tilt just a bit. “Nope,” she responded, popping the ‘p’ and giggling, though she wasn’t sure why. She’d brought her car when she moved, but the idea of actually driving it made her hands shake so badly that she decided the train was better.

“That’s okay, I have a car service. Kol, I’ll see you in a few days.”

With that, she escorted Caroline out of the bar and into an SUV. The majority of the car ride was a blur for her, but she was definitely pleased when Bonnie handed her the box, making her hum with happiness. Bonnie smiled warmly at Caroline’s drunken state, content to see her friend happy after everything that had happened. She hadn’t planned on Caroline getting trashed, but one had to take victories where one could get them.

Caroline was beginning to sober up, but Bonnie insisted on at least making sure she got into the apartment safely. Caroline shooed her off once she was inside, insisting that she was fine and that they would talk tomorrow. She was dreading the inevitable crash of her drunk haze of giddiness, and the desire to prevent Bon from seeing that was intense enough that the alcoholic haze lifted a bit.

In an effort to keep the crash at bay, she hurriedly changed into her comfiest pajama set, popped her favorite movie in, and snuggled into the couch with her food in front of her. The soft piano, beautiful imagery, and stunning costumes kept her distracted enough that she was reasonably confident that she would end her day without a breakdown.

So it was understandable when thumping music sent a shot of pure rage through her. Caroline straightened up immediately. The vibrations were coming from the floor above hers—the penthouse—disturbing the gentle piano from her movie.

“Are you freaking _kidding_ me?” she whispered to herself, becoming more agitated as the minutes passed. Did the asshole not realize how loud the music was? Caroline had yet to meet anyone from the building other than the super, let alone the penthouse prick. Part of her anger was the tequila, she knew, but that knowledge couldn’t stop her from being consumed by it. Tossing the blanket off, she shoved her feet into her slippers, stomping out of her front door and up the stairs.

Another several minutes passed by as she pounded her fist furiously on the door. She muttered profanities to herself, wishing she could just rush in and break the stereo system, if only to teach the tenant a lesson. In the middle of imagining herself taking a sledgehammer to it, the door finally opened, and she snatched her fist back so she wouldn’t hit the person standing on the other side of it.

The man was only two or three inches taller than her, giving her an unencumbered view of his blue eyes, and he looked pissed. Well, that made two of them. He was dressed semi-casually, with a long-sleeved, slightly crumpled shirt and a nice pair of dark jeans. The sleeves of his shirt were scrunched up to his elbows, and his exposed forearms showed splatters of color. His full lips were almost curled into a sneer, his eyebrows were lowered, and the slight tightening of muscles on his face told her that this man was not going to be easy to deal with.

“Can I help you, sweetheart, or do you simply enjoy berating strangers’ doors?”

The English accent through her off a bit, but certainly didn’t dampen the wild emotion coursing through her. And did he just call her _sweetheart_?

“You can help,” she snapped through clenched teeth, “by turning your music down. It’s all I can hear in my apartment.”

“Have you tried headphones? I hear they’re wonderful at blocking things out.” Oh, she would rip his head off if it wasn’t illegal.

“Have _you_ tried headphones? Your stupid music is drowning everything else out, and you’re ruining my favorite movie!”

“If it’s your favorite, then you should know it well enough to not need sound.” He smirked, her aggravation hitting new levels. As he went to close the door in her face, she shot her foot out. Glaring at it, he snapped, “If you don’t like the way I choose to live, sweetheart, then I suggest you live somewhere else.”

“And I suggest, _sweetheart_ , that you learn to be respectful of your neighbors.” Her head began to throb, although from the tequila or music, she wasn’t sure. She brought her hands up to her face, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stop the neighbor’s face from blurring. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before continuing. In a pleasing tone, although her annoyance still clearly underlined the sentiment, she said, “Listen, I only pounded on the door because I was pretty sure you wouldn’t hear me otherwise. I’ve had a long day, and a little too much alcohol, and all I want to do is to watch _Pride and Prejudice_ so I can pretend I’m not a wreck for a couple of hours before I have to go back into the real world. I just moved here, and the last thing I want is to make an enemy when I have enough going on as it is. Will you please turn it down?”

He had been watching her intently as she rambled, his own irritation appearing to dissipate as his face relaxed. He was clearly still in a bad mood, though, and she wondered for half a second if he was going to slam the door in her face.

Therefore it was a shock when he just replied, “Okay.”

Caroline’s mood quickly shifted to confusion, eyebrows knitting together. “Okay?”

“Yes, love,” he confirmed. His sneer changed to a smirk, clearly amused at her skepticism. “I will turn it down since you asked me so nicely. And who could say no to a pretty face like yours?”

Disoriented at the turn their conversation had taken, Caroline muttered a quick thanks before shuffling back down the stairs. The noise was gone by the time she situated herself back onto her couch. She continued her movie, all the while thinking about her new mercurial neighbor.


	2. Set Into Motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from 'Time Bomb' by All Time Low (again!)

Klaus tried to let himself be lost in the deep bass of the music, not really paying attention to it so long as it was _loud_. If he let himself think for too long, things would get broken, and he was sick of having to replace his things just because he couldn’t control his temper. Being in his studio also helped keep him in check. No sense in destroying the little bit of work he’d been able to churn out in the last few weeks. His day was bad enough without further pissing off his agent at the lack of progress.

Mikael would be returning to the states for a week. Just the thought of being on the same continent with that man made his insides flip upside down, let alone being in the same room. Esther had said it so casually. Like she didn’t know about the cold war her husband and son fought in, how it so easily exploded at the sight of each other. His siblings were more adept at keeping the two apart. Elijah discussed business, Rebekah pulled out her best whiny brat, Kol made an ass of himself to divert some of Mikael’s anger away. None of it ever quite kept Klaus safe from the unending wrath of his father, but it did help cushion the inevitable blow he’d receive.

He was only a few brushes into a painting when he heard someone pounding on his door. If that was Kol trying to convince him into a night of debauchery, he was going to end up with a wicked black eye and a broken nose. His little brother had already left him a series of semi-inebriated text messages insisting he join him at the bar—‘I found little Bon Bon, join us,’ ‘Bonnie lass brought a new friend to town,’ ‘she’s a tasty lil thing who shoots tequila like a pro,’ ‘Nik come down here and convince them to let me do belly shots’—with a slew of spelling errors and unrelated emojis. No doubt that he’d eventually succeeded in getting one of them to do it, since he finally stopped trying to contact him. But maybe Klaus had underestimated him and was now having to deal with a drunk brother hellbent on a night of sin.

It was, in fact, _not_ a drunk Kol belligerently pounding at his door. Instead a wild blonde in a cotton pajama set and fuzzy pink slippers stood there with waves of hostility rippling off her. His arrival at the door had surprised her, and he used her moment of disorientation to admire her long, lean legs and how soft her pale skin looked. He did make a point of not looking at her chest—he wasn’t a _total_ creep—but the glimpse he got was enjoyable. He noticed a jagged pink scar on her left arm and found himself wondering what story came with it. Finally he looked into her eyes—a brilliant, vibrant ocean-blue—wondering who the hell she thought she was barging in on his private time. How had she gotten past the doorman? Was she a guest, a new neighbor? Regardless, the intrusion fueled his earlier emotions and made him spit out the first words that came to mind.

“Can I help you, sweetheart, or do you simply enjoy berating strangers’ doors?”

The glaze he’d noted in her eyes disappeared as she clenched her teeth and responded. It was fascinating, he thought, how quickly she moved from confusion to anger, watching her cross her arms defensively over her chest. His comment about headphones pushed her further, and he was enjoying how her eyes crackled like blue fire as she threw his own words back at him.

“If it’s your favorite, then you should know it well enough to not need sound.” Her face contorted, her foot blocking the door from closing as he intended. Her brazenness had his eyes narrowing. “If you don’t like the way I choose to live, sweetheart, then I suggest you live somewhere else.”

“And I suggest, _sweetheart_ , that you learn to be respectful of your neighbors.”

Klaus felt a laugh form and bit his lip to keep it from escaping. The woman was rubbing her face with her hands, and he wasn’t sure if she was trying to calm down or preparing to kill him. Fending off a murder attempt would help release some of his anger, if she chose the latter, but something in his gut said she wouldn’t do that.

Placatingly, she began to backtrack on her shouting, “Listen, I only pounded on the door because I was pretty sure you wouldn’t hear me otherwise. I’ve had a long day, and a little too much alcohol, and all I want to do is to watch _Pride and Prejudice_ so I can pretend I’m not a wreck for a couple of hours before I have to go back into the real world. I just moved here, and the last thing I want is to make an enemy when I have enough going on as it is. Will you please turn it down?”

For a brief moment, he considered laughing in her face and telling her to piss off, but he paused. She was clearly trying to take the high road in a situation she hated, and she seemed so sincere. He couldn’t remember the last time someone outside his family had dared speak so bluntly to him, let alone in frilly sleep clothes.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

He reaffirmed his answer with a smirk, and added, “I will turn it down since you asked me so nicely. And who could say no to a pretty face like yours?”

He fought a laugh at how flustered she became. “Oh. Um. Thanks.”

He watched her walk back toward the stairwell before shutting his door. He turned the music down to what he deemed a tolerable level and turned back to what he’d been working on. The shades of red and black were unappealing. Instead of continuing it, Klaus went to the couch, sketchbook in hand with new ideas.

* * *

“Darling, you look absolutely delicious.”

Caroline glared over the edge of her phone. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Kol slid into the chair across from her. “I’m here for dinner. I do hope you haven’t filled up on bread. The steak here is wonderful.”

Grinding her teeth, she ignored him as she tapped on her phone and waited for the other line to pick up.

“I’m so, so, so, so, so, so, so, _so_ sorry!”

“Bonnie Sheila Bennett, there better be a spectacular reason that Kol is here and you are not.”

With her first event since starting work happening the next night, Caroline had eagerly accepted Bonnie’s invitation for dinner. Ignoring her nerves about tomorrow _and_ getting quality time with her best friend was a no-brainer. And now not only was she late, but she invited _Kol_.

“You don’t have to pretend to despise me, darling,” Kol purred. “You’ve already got me. No need to play hard to get.”

Bonnie hurriedly said, “I swear I didn’t invite him. I just kind of let it slip that we were supposed to have dinner, and he happens to know my favorite spots, so he called and changed the reservation for three, and by the time I found out it was too late. I am on my way, I just got stuck dealing with something and it took longer than anticipated. Please try not to murder him—he’s pretty to look at, if nothing else.”

“He won’t be for long if he makes more crude jokes.”

“Completely understandable. I’ll be there in…20 minutes?”

“Your confidence astounds me. Hurry up and get here.” She turned to Kol, who was unashamedly leering at her over the menu. She snatched the menu before setting it down and folding her fingers together on the table. “If you want to make it home with minimal injuries, we’re going to need some ground rules.” He opened his mouth to object, and Caroline quickly cut him off. “First, you will make no jokes that any middle school boy would find funny, be they explicit or not. Second, you will not make any lewd suggestions that I or the two of us could participate in. Third, you will tell me everything I need to know to deal with your family tomorrow.”

Learning that Kol was a Mikaelson had been a bit of a shock. The Mikaelsons ran one the most successful business ventures in the country. They were constantly acquiring more companies under their umbrella, and the range between them all was vast, from stuffed animals to stocks to computers. They were also notoriously difficult to deal with. Kol being a trust fund kid wasn’t surprising, but that he was part of such a ruthless family was.

His eyes narrowed briefly before a smile broke out on his face. “Such a fierce lady. Very well, I will acquiesce to your rules. We can renegotiate after Bonnie lass arrives.”

“That’s fair.” She handed the menu back and scanned her own. After ordering appetizers, she decided to get down to business. “Tell me about your family.”

Kol leaned back in his chair, propping it onto two legs. The urge to order him to put the chair back on all fours was stronger than she’d like to admit. “What’s to tell? They’re all wankers.”

She glared. “I need to make a good impression. Your family is our biggest client. In order to prove I’m the best I’ll need them to like me as their planner, and _that_ begins with them liking me as a person.”

“I’m afraid you may have to resign yourself to dislike from them. My family, and my parents in particular, are cold-blooded.”

A bit of a blow, but nothing Caroline wasn’t already aware of. She took a sip of her water. “I don’t like to lose. Start talking.”

“Fine,” he sighed dramatically, putting the chair back down and straightening himself up. “My father is the head of it. He’ll be the worst to deal with. Everyone he hasn’t met is just someone who hasn’t had the chance to disappoint him. He believes the worst in everyone and rarely acknowledges feelings. Brutal efficiency is the only thing he values, and I think it’s safe to say you fit that bill.” She preened a bit. “Never show weakness. You’ll lose all credibility in his eyes the moment you do.

“Now, my mother is only marginally better. She does have feelings from time to time, but she hides them under layers of ice. She had to harden herself to survive my father. She appreciates a job well done when it’s above and beyond her expectations, which are unattainably high. On the slim chance you _do_ surpass her expectations, she will only say something along the lines of you being semi-competent at your job. Positive reinforcement is not a concept she has ever understood, so she will most likely point out anything she deems wrong in order for her to ‘train’ you.”

“I really hope this wasn’t how she raised you and your siblings.”

“Oh it most definitely was.” Caroline didn’t miss the hurt in his voice. “They fucked all of us up in very special ways. That brings me to my siblings. The eldest is Finn. He lives in London with his wife and kids. He almost never comes to the states, as he runs the U.K. offices and utilizes that to avoid us. Elijah is the golden child, although that didn’t make him exempt from parental disdain. Majored in business and works alongside my father as his heir. He is nowhere near as cold as our parents, but he is very…reserved.”

Caroline smiled. “You say reserved, but all I’m hearing is stuck-up.”

“Oh, he most definitely is stuck-up,” Kol agreed, returning her grin. “But he cares. You just have to endure the disappointed stare, the lectures, the judgmental eyes, and all his sartorial splendor in order to get to it. His wife is quite literally his opposite and she loosened him up considerably. Just do your job and he will approve.”

He was interrupted by the waitress dropping off Kol’s drink and their appetizers. He dug into his food ferociously, thankfully swallowing his food before continuing. “Nik is a tosser and not someone you have to worry about impressing. You’ll find him sulking off in corners as often as possible. He refused to meet at the bar on Monday, can you believe that? What self-respecting man turns down a night of drinking with two beautiful women? Even sulky artists need some fun.”

“Something tells me it was self-preservation.”

“I resent that.”

“What about your sister?” Rebekah Mikaelson was more elusive, at least in a business sense, with Caroline’s research. She, Niklaus, and Kol weren’t as involved with the company as the eldest two, so it hadn’t been her focus at the time. But being the only girl stuck out.

“Bekah is a spoiled brat and she doesn’t hide it. She flew in from Italy last night and has subjected me to woeful tales of jet lag since. And I can’t believe you’re going to skip over the best of the clan!” Kol put his hand over his heart in fake offense. “To ignore someone as handsome and witty and mind-blowing in bed as me is practically criminal.”

“Oh, forgive me, my lord, for having offended thee,” Caroline scoffed, punctuated with an eye roll. The buzz of her phone interrupted them.

 **Bonnie [8:16]:** almost there, ETA 4 minutes

Four minutes? Plenty of time for an interrogation.

Caroline interlaced her fingers, setting them on the table. “So, Kol, what exactly are your intentions with my Bonnie?”

“My intentions?” He arched a brow. “How old-fashioned of you, dear, but I’m not entirely sure what you mean.”

“I mean that your feelings for Bonnie are not as hidden as you’d like to think.”

He blinked, his only sign of surprise.

She continued, “You hide it well underneath every innuendo and solicitation, especially since that appears to be your default setting around women. I would probably believe it was just harmless flirting, except I know Bonnie, and I see how you two behave around each other. My gut tells me that she’s not just a conquest for you, but if I’m wrong, I need to know right now.”

“I think you’re misconstruing things. You were particularly pissed the other night. I’m not built for relationships, darling, something that our Bonnie is very aware of. _You_ , however? You seem like a relationship girl. Should I set you up with one of my siblings? Two are married, but I’m sure Nik or Rebekah would find you as delightful as I do. Or they’d kill you. It’s a 50/50 chance, really.”

His deflection attempts were painfully obvious, but she could see Bonnie weaving through other tables to get to them, two minutes sooner than she’d estimated.

Caroline offered a small smile and replied, “I’m not one for relationships or otherwise right now. Hey, Bonnie!”

Bonnie offered the two a bright smile as she slipped into the seat on either side of them. “I am so sorry I’m late, Caroline.”

“What am I, just a pretty decoration?”

“You invited yourself here, you don’t get an apology.”

Caroline cast a knowing glance at their banter, poorly hiding it in a bite of her appetizer. Bonnie helped herself to both plates on the table while she perused the menu.

Bon continued to scan the food list while she asked, “What were you guys talking about while you waited?”

Kol blurted out an answer before Caroline could open her mouth. “We were discussing the tricky nature of romantic attachments, and Caroline’s current lack of interest in them. Would you happen to know anything about that, lovely?”

Bonnie’s eyes cut to Caroline. “Kind of hard to date when you just moved and started a new job less than a week ago, Kol.”

“I doubt it’s just that.” He hadn’t missed the shared look between the girls. “Come on, dear, let’s hear all about it! What happened? Was he a git? A slag? Was he just a little _too_ close to his mum? You have to watch out for those kind.”

Caroline let out an unladylike snort. “I think I only understood 40% of what you just said.”

“There is a story here, and I will not rest until I know it. I demand satisfaction!”

 _Sigh._ Better to give him a bone, lest he find the meat. Caroline swallowed harshly before murmuring, “He cheated.”

It was the first time she’d said it aloud since she told her mom. It should’ve been easier than it was, to finally speak about it. The fact that Tyler still held enough power over her that his infidelity hurt razed through her blood. That part of her life was dead, and it still insisted on haunting her.

“Ah, a slag then! In my personal opinion, he was obviously stupid if he thought he could do better than you.”

Bonnie was watching her, eyes calculating. Caroline hadn’t told her either—Liz had learned shortly before the accident, and it wasn’t something either were inclined to discuss after. Not when everyone in that damn town looked at her like she was a war widow on the verge of a breakdown.

“How did you find out?” Bonnie asked. “Did you catch him or did he just tell you one day?”

“Actually, the girl messaged me. Claimed she didn’t know that he was in a relationship when it happened and that she felt guilty. That was five months after it happened. He hadn’t said anything about it. Probably never would have.” She shrugged. “Her telling me instead of him—it showed me what kind of man Tyler really was. So at least I wouldn’t be wasting any more time on him.”

She could see the apology on the tip of Bonnie’s tongue, but her friend quickly changed her strategy. “What a dick. At least that is all in the past now.”

Caroline hummed her agreement, and the dinner went on with no more mention of Tyler. Kol flirted with the waitress, Bonnie and Caroline apologized for him, and they kept the conversation light. It wasn’t until later, when they excused themselves to the ladies’ room, that Bonnie cornered her.

“When were you going to tell me that Tyler cheated?”

Caroline sighed as she washed her hands. “I found out not long before the accident, and after I woke up it wasn’t something I wanted to dwell on.”

Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you confront him?”

“No.” She turned to the hand dryer to give herself a moment. “I was working on a breakup speech. All of them sounded cliché or bitter, and I was scared of what would happen once we were finally over. I tried to avoid him for a bit, but that didn’t work. We were arguing about it when the car crashed.”

“Care…”

“I’m fine, Bonnie. It was almost eight months ago. I can tell you more later, but right now I need to get home and get some sleep for tomorrow.”

Dropping it looked the last thing Bonnie wanted to do, but she agreed nevertheless. After all, what good could come from speaking of the dead?

* * *

Caroline’s workday began with a few introductions.

“Caroline, this is Enzo, the event coordinator for this evening.” Anna, the office secretary, had led Caroline into the office next to Pearl’s. Behind the desk stood a man with short black hair, brown eyes, and a winning smile. It made her think of Kol.

“Lovely to meet you, gorgeous.”

Exactly how many British men lived in this city, and how did she keep finding them?

Caroline shook the hand he held out. “Nice to meet you too, Enzo. Pearl said I’m to shadow you tonight to learn the ropes.” A little insulting, if you asked her. She’d run almost all the events in Mystic Falls for years before turning it into a career. Was following someone around all night really necessary?

“Yes, Anna here told me about it last week that I’d be semi-training the new girl. Although from what I saw of your portfolio, you should probably be giving me a few lessons.”

“I’ll let you two to prepare,” Anna interjected, straightening some papers in her hands. Walking out, she added, “Let me know if you need anything.”

There was a beat before Caroline remembered he’d spoken to her. “Oh! Thank you. I don’t really understand why it’s necessary, but from what I have heard, the Mikaelsons are very particular.”

“They most certainly are. Come and sit down.” He gestured to a seat in front of his desk, lowering himself down to his own chair. She sunk herself into the leather. “They reamed poor Dana so hard for messing up the drinks that she nearly quit. I work with them because I’m excellent at my job _and_ a nice piece of eye candy.”

She snorted. “You think pretty highly of yourself.”

He shrugged, amusement coating his voice. “I’m not afflicted with false modesty. Why should I bother to deny the obvious? Plus, being attractive can only help you with this family. Looks are everything to them. You fit that bill, gorgeous, and you do fantastic work, so I’m confident you’ll quickly earn their respect.” She hummed in amusement and he switched to business mode, pulling out a thin white binder and extending it to Caroline. “That is everything that is in place for tonight. You won’t be in charge, but I figure you’d want to go in prepared.”

“You figured right.” She flipped through the binder pages. Theme, venue, drinks, food, all of it was color-coded—definitely under the _wrong_ colors; who puts food under blue?!—and it calmed her nerves a little. Organization and efficiency were a boon for her emotions, and she was happy to see it in Enzo’s work. Even if the colors were wrong and the tabs were weak.

“There will be heaps of pretension and ego in the air, especially from our hosts, so I hope you’ve a good poker face.”

“Oh, you have no idea how good I am,” she replied with a giggle.

They spent the day triple-checking everything for the party, with Enzo gossiping about the Mikaelsons throughout. It made her laugh— _“Mikael Mikaelson? Either his parents named him that or he did, and it’s an unforgivable sin regardless”_ —and stopped her nerves from overpowering her. They’d both come into work already dressed for it, and they headed off together to the hotel space.

For their part, everything went smoothly, even when Caroline thought the servers were making their rounds too quickly. More than once she had to remind herself that she wasn’t actually in charge yet. Yet for all the huffing and puffing about the event, it was extremely similar to the ones she’d organized in Mystic Falls. The champagne was more expensive, but that was really the only difference. There was never a reason to be worried she couldn’t live up to the expectations.

Bonnie found Caroline a quarter of the way through the party, looking stunning. Kol quickly followed behind, who immediately started talking to Enzo.

“How’re you holding up?” Bon asked, gesturing around the room with her non-champagne-bearing hand. “Does it all seem familiar?”

Caroline laughed. Lowering her voice, she murmured, “Just a bit. Rich people are rich people, no matter where they live, apparently. And they all think they’re so unique.”

Enzo excused himself to the bathroom, and Kol watched him walk off with a sigh. Kol said, “Such a beautiful man. It’s a damn shame he’s married.”

“He’s _married_?” Caroline hadn’t intended it to come out like a shriek. It wasn’t that she had been planning on making a move or anything, but… “Then why all the flirting and pet names?”

Kol leveled her a flat look. “It’s just a default setting for incredibly handsome English men. Surely you’ve realized?”

Caroline couldn’t hold back her eye roll, or the shove she gave his shoulder. “Shut up. Where are your parents? I haven’t met them yet.” She began looking around the room for the elusive pair.

“Probably off trying to lowball another CEO into selling their life’s work. They always reappear by the end to tell the staff what they did wrong, so don’t worry just yet, darling. My siblings should be lurking about.” Kol peered around and smiled. “Look, one of my brothers is here. Nik!”

Caroline turned to watch the figure approach her and felt her face flush as recognition set in. That was just her luck. Because _of course_ the neighbor she’d screamed at was a freakin’ Mikaelson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support! I haven't posted anything online in years, and this is the first I've ever posted on this site, so seeing your reviews and kudos really made me happy!!


	3. Party Favor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long in updating everyone! You can thank my beta reader for both the chapter title AND for nagging me quite literally every day (with a small grace period post-update) to write. It would've been much longer without her pestering me about it. So thank you, feyresunbecoming, for getting me out of my own head long enough to continue writing.

Making a beeline for the ladies’ room with Bonnie in tow probably wasn’t Caroline’s smartest decision, but it was the one she made. Bonnie arched a brow at Caroline’s obvious avoidance tactic.

“Any particular reason for the urge to stand around in a restroom?”

She fidgeted with her fingers. “Remember that neighbor I screamed at?” Bon nodded, having heard the story yesterday over dinner. Kol had been gleeful hearing about it. “That was apparently Niklaus Mikaelson.”

Bonnie didn’t look nearly as shocked as Caroline thought she would, Bon’s eyebrows knitting together. “I thought your building looked familiar.”

Caroline threw her hands up. “That’s all you have to say? Seriously?”

“What should I say, Care? Klaus and I only interact when we have to, and that is usually when Kol and Rebekah have dragged us somewhere. The only thing I will say is that hiding in the bathroom probably won’t fix it.”

“I do not appreciate your logic right now.”

The girls emerged from the restroom a few minutes later, after using the toilet and freshening up. Instead of forcing her back over to Kol, Bonnie tugged Caroline toward a dark-haired man that she immediately recognized.

Elijah Mikaelson had been the main focus of Caroline’s research. Primed to take over for his father, Elijah spent the majority of his time in the spotlight. There were countless articles detailing his charity work and personal charm, many of them fawning over his good looks and kind demeanor. The question was how much of the personable persona was real and how much was cultivated press?

Bonnie offered Elijah a smile as they marched toward him. Caroline noticed a brunette standing next to him, a possessive hand curled into his arm.

“Elijah, Katherine, it’s great to see you both! How was the honeymoon?” Bon asked.

“It was _amazing_ ,” the woman—Katherine—sang with a wicked grin. “A whole month on a private beach and no judgmental eyes is just what I ordered. Not to mention the mind-blowing se—”

“Let’s not discuss that here, my love,” Elijah interjected. Caroline thought he was trying to appear stern, but his amusement was evident. “Miss Bennett, who is your friend here?”

Caroline stuck out her hand and firmly shook Elijah’s returned one. “Caroline Forbes, lifelong friend of Bonnie’s and your new event coordinator. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Lovely to meet you, Miss Forbes. I’m Elijah Mikaelson”—he placed a hand on his chest and then gestured to the brunette—“and this is my wife, Katherine.”

Caroline shook Katherine’s hand as well. “Mrs. Mikaelson, wonderful to meet you as well.”

Katherine hummed in pleased amusement, closing her eyes briefly with a smile. “‘Mrs. Mikaelson;’ I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that. But you can call me Katherine. Kat, if I decide I like you.”

“Very well, Katherine. You’ll have to let me know if that happens. So, you two are newlyweds?”

Even without Bonnie’s question about the honeymoon, Caroline had already known about their impromptu wedding. Kol had been all too gleeful rehashing the story at dinner. Elijah’s parents disliked Katherine, claiming she was ‘a gold-digger and loose woman,’ exact wording used in front of her. Elijah hadn’t appreciated their lack of manners on a base level and he had been furious for days following the meet-the-girlfriend get-together. Apparently the two had been dancing around each other for years; occasional hookups, flirty banter, far too much sexual tension for people already having sex. They’d only officially been together for about a month when the get-together happened. Four days later, they’d each grabbed a sibling as a witness and flew to Vegas, shacked up there for two weeks while they planned an official honeymoon and sent an announcement to Mikael and Esther.

Caroline mostly wondered if they would alter the story to try and hide the family’s dirty laundry or something.

Katherine smirked. “That’s right. Hopped onto the Fuck-It Express and eloped in Vegas. My dearest father-in-law’s reaction is something I shall cherish for decades to come.”

Caroline couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that escaped her chest. “You might be unsure if you like me, but I most definitely like you.”

* * *

Klaus watched as the blonde who’d screamed at him bolted for the bathroom with the Bennett girl in tow. His lips curled slightly at her obvious avoidance, but he tried to rein it in as to not alert Kol of anything.

Before Klaus was even next to him, Kol was saying, “You’re losing your touch, Nik, if women are running before even meeting you.”

Klaus rolled his eyes. “Who was it, exactly, that I scared away?”

“You would know if you’d decided to grace us with your presence at Gloria’s. Sweet little Caroline can hold her liquor. I had thought you would’ve been able to convince her to let me do that belly shot, but judging from her reaction just now, I think you made the right call in staying in.”

 _Caroline. A fitting name._ Learning he could’ve been getting to know the curious blonde over drinks, instead of being yelled at by her, made a small twinge of regret form in his belly. Only a small one though, because he’d been absolutely delighted by her display of anger. He hadn’t quite managed to catch the glint of anger in the sketches of her eyes, and it had bothered him for days.

“If I recall correctly,” Klaus said, ignoring the dig his brother made, “your text said she came to town because of Bonnie?”

“Yes, apparently they grew up together before little Bon-Bon moved here, and Bonnie suggested she apply for the planning company Mother uses for these darling little soirées.”

Hm. Not only his neighbor, but also working under his family? He could work that to his advantage.

Klaus took a sip of his drink, fought to remain casual. “What else do you know about her?”

Kol side-eyed him, a grin slowly spreading across his face. It only grew when Klaus glared. “Why do you want to know? Is it possible that little Caroline has captured your fickle attention? Because I doubt Bonnie lass will allow you within 50 feet of her with those kind of intentions. I already received a thorough dressing-down from her myself.”

Klaus scowled. He and the Bennett girl had never really gotten on, only tolerated each other’s presence. He found her a bit too self-righteous, and she found him unbelievably arrogant. Forced civility was the foundation of their interactions, and little else. Mostly because of Kol’s irritating obsession with the Bennett heir and Rebekah’s vague fondness. Now it seemed that if he wanted to learn more about Caroline, he would need to make nice with her.

“I’ve been rather bored lately and could use a delicious piece of entertainment,” he finally answered, sharing a mischievous smile with his little brother. “And I’m sure Caroline doesn’t need her friend making decisions for her.”

“You say that now, but when she verbally eviscerates you, don’t come crying to me. She’ll cut you to the quick in three seconds flat.”

“You know I’ve always enjoyed a sharp tongue.”

Klaus watched as she interacted with his older brother and Katherine. They had never really gotten along either, but the animosity between them had long since ceased. Making Elijah relax was enough reason for him to agree to be Elijah’s witness in Vegas. Katherine said something that made Caroline laugh, and he felt a twinge of annoyance.

“Why don’t you just hump her leg and pee on her if you’re going to be this territorial?”

Klaus blinked, realized he had been scowling at them. “Will you shut it?” He emphasized his words by shoving Kol’s face.

“You should be nicer to me. Not only am I your favorite brother, but I could tank your chances with Caroline easily. She and I get on very well now. I’ll probably be invited to the next sleepover. I wonder what she and Bonnie would wear to sleep…”

A cutesy cotton tank and shorts set with ridiculous slippers, if what he saw earlier in the week indicated anything. But he was not going to give Kol that visual.

“If you haven’t seen Bonnie in sleepwear or less by now, I doubt you will ever see it.” Klaus observed Caroline walking over to the champagne tower. He turned away from his brother without a word, heading directly for the blonde.

“Running away is extremely impolite,” he breathed onto her neck. She shivered and turned to him, embarrassment flooding her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, rubbing her neck where his breath had hit her. “I just kind of panicked.”

“I may be able to forgive such an egregious faux pas if you were willing to do me a favor.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. What a delightfully suspicious mind.

“You sound so pretentious. What’s the favor? Remember that _you’re_ the one who was being a rude neighbor,” she teased, a small smile at the corner of her mouth.

He smiled. “Tell me about yourself. Starting with your name.”

She huffed in faux exasperation. “Caroline Forbes.”

“Klaus Mikaelson. It is a pleasure to officially meet you, Caroline.” His tongue edged his lower lip, and when he saw her eyes follow the movement he felt only satisfaction. “From what I hear, Kol has been quite the pest in the short time you’ve been here. I would apologize for his behavior, except his attachment is what led to us meeting in much more pleasant circumstances.”

“He’s not attached to _me_ ; he follows Bon around like a puppy and I’m usually with her.”

Klaus snorted. “Love, if Kol didn’t find you at least a little bit amusing, he wouldn’t bother pretending. And since he has been badgering me about meeting the feisty blonde the Bennett girl brought to town, I think it is safe to assume he considers you a friend.”

She bit the inside of her lip and cracked a small smile.

Klaus took the liberty of grabbing two glasses of champagne, handing one over to Caroline with a smirk. She hesitated. “Come now, love, it’s just one drink. Go on. I dare you.”

She took it with a glare, but didn’t take a sip. “I’m technically on the clock, you know. I don’t think Pearl wants her employees drinking on the job.”

“I always see Lorenzo with a drink of his own at these things. I’m quite certain as long as you’re still capable of coherent thought, she won’t care if you’ve been imbibing.”

She finally took a sip from the flute, and he used it to get to know her better. “So, what made you get into party planning? Not many kids grow up with that as a dream job.”

“Once I realized that being a princess wasn’t a feasible option, I went through the usual phases: singer, actress, doctor, lawyer. The kind of jobs that are painted as glamorous when you’re a kid. But I volunteered a lot as I grew up. My town does an unbelievable amount of events year-round, and I found that I was good at organizing them. It just seemed like a natural thing to fall into, especially since I basically had the job long before college.”

Her rambling was adorable. “Did you not think you could be a doctor, or lawyer? What stopped you from pursuing those?”

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. “I could’ve done it, of that I have no doubt. I’m nothing if not stubborn. I just wasn’t passionate about them. Those kind of careers require serious dedication, and while I would have no trouble _doing_ them, I didn’t want to waste the majority of my life on something I really didn’t care about.” Her fingers started tapping a soundless rhythm on the glass. She switched topics by asking, “Why do you live in an apartment? I had you pegged for a mansion type of guy.”

“It’s not a little one-bedroom broom closet I’m living in, it _is_ the penthouse suite,” he pointed out with a smirk. “I like being in the city. It’s as simple as that.”

What he didn’t mention was that it kept him away from his parents more. It was much easier to hide in the thick of the city than to pretend you aren’t home in a suburb. Although he _was_ building a mansion, so he couldn’t fault Caroline for her line of thinking.

Caroline rolled her eyes. “I’m just surprised. I knew the building was under the family company, I just didn’t expect one of you to live there.”

“We all live in buildings we own, except for Elijah. He built a house four years ago. I imagine Katherine will force him into some redecorating. His taste is a bit dry.”

“In interior design or relationships? Because Katherine seems like a firecracker to me.”

“Believe me when I tell you that we were all quite shocked at how enamored he was. Doesn’t seem like an obvious pairing, does it?”

“Agreed. Although I think anyone would be a fool to try and come between them. I mean, one bad instance and they elope? I would not want to be on the receiving end of their scorn.”

Klaus gave her a meaningful look. “Trust that instinct. It is not fun.” He was trying to calculate exactly how he could extract more information from her when someone walked up to them with purpose.

“Gorgeous, our overlords have summoned us,” Enzo reported, hands shoved into his pockets. “Best not to keep them waiting.” The man turned to him and added, “Hello again, mate. I’m sorry I have to steal her away, but I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

Caroline shot Klaus an apologetic look, handing over the champagne flute for him to deal with. “It was great talking to you. I’ll see you around!” She and Enzo had started walking away when she called back, “And you better keep the volume down next time!”

Klaus watched her walk away, the sway of her hips, the perfect curl in her hair, the confident strut. And began to plot on exactly how to get Caroline in his bed.

* * *

Mikael was not as intimidating as Caroline had thought he’d be. He wasn’t nice, nor did he appear welcoming at all, but she wasn’t overawed by his presence. If anything, she felt like she could see down to the depths of his shriveled soul.

Esther, on the other hand, had an ominous air about her. The coldness Kol had described was clear in her eyes, even as she affected kindness. She made Caroline’s skin prickle in discomfort, even as she too plastered on a smile and engaged in small talk.

“Why is it you are taking leave, sir?” Esther asked, and she almost seemed genuinely interested in the answer. Mikael stood off to her side, hands in his pockets, scanning the room with a prominent scowl.

Enzo responded with an award-winning smile, “Maggie gave birth to our daughter last week, so I’m taking family leave to help out at home. I want her to be able to relax when she can, and that is simply not possible since our son learned how to walk.”

Esther reached out and placed her hands around one of Enzo’s. “Congratulations on the birth. We shall send some flowers over very soon.” She released Enzo’s hand and turned her head to Caroline. “Mr. St. John here can give you all necessary information. We look forward to seeing your work, Miss Forbes.” With that, she pivoted on her heel and walked away. Mikael slithered off before Esther had finished speaking.

Caroline turned to Enzo. “One: congrats on the baby. You could’ve informed me at some point today that’s why you were taking leave, but I’ll forgive you this one time. Two: does she always speak with the royal ‘we’?”

“Unfortunately yes. I believe it’s half ‘show a united front,’ and half ‘don’t notice my frowning husband.’”

Caroline snorted. “It makes you wonder why he’s head of the company and not her.”

“We both know why. That is a man who sees women as leverage. Vessels to bear children and little else. He is the epitome of everything I refuse to be.”

“Quite a lofty goal,” she teased, flashing him an impish grin. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

“I’m offended you can even think that. Now go make some dinner and mind the children.” Caroline shoved him.

The party was winding down by that point. Bonnie came over to say goodbye, with Kol hovering behind her. He delivered a loud smacking kiss to Caroline’s cheek before bouncing off. Caroline observed Enzo as he dealt with the cleanup staff, making sure instructions were being followed. He had one of the caterers wrap up two plates of the food assortments for them, and she didn’t bother hiding her squeal of excitement.

By the time the caterers packed up, the DJ left, and the cleaners having scrubbed the space clear, exhaustion weighed on her. It had been a long day, and all she could think about was the comfort of her pillow pile. She was shocked to see Klaus lingering by the doors.

Caroline approached him and asked, “Why are you still here? You’re not getting paid for it.”

He smiled at her, and it felt unfair how it sent butterflies through her stomach. “I figured I would offer you a ride home. Save the earth from unnecessary emissions and such.”

“Oh, so this is all about the environment? How very conscientious of you.”

The two walked side-by-side out of the building. “We do live in the same building, love. Seems like a waste for two cars to go to the same place.”

She tucked some hair behind her ear as he stared at her. “I was going to take the train, actually.”

He was already shaking his head. “You don’t want to be on the trains at this time of night. Especially not dressed like that. You look like an all-you-can-eat buffet to a mugger.”

Caroline looked at her clothes, and then looked back up at Klaus, and decided she didn’t want to be mugged that night. And despite him being a virtual stranger, she really felt safe with him. Just in case though, she texted Bonnie that she was getting a ride with Klaus and made sure to share her location in case something happened.

“Lead the way,” she murmured. Klaus put his hand on her lower back as he guided her to his SUV, and she found the gesture oddly comforting.

As she climbed into the car, Bonnie texted Caroline back that ‘Kol would kill Klaus if he hurt you, so I think you’re safe.’ She put on her seatbelt immediately when she settled into the seat, turning to make sure Klaus was doing so as well.

“Well, aren’t you going to put your belt on?”

The look Klaus gave her was bemused. “I never ride with a seatbelt. It’s fine.”

“Do I need to tell you the statistics on fatalities in car crashes where people weren’t wearing their seatbelts? There is a reason it’s federal law.” Her hands started shaking involuntarily, and she gripped them together in an attempt to hide it.

“I can pay for any ticket they give me,” he dismissed.

Her muscles started locking up. “Safety is more important than inconvenience. Put the belt on.”

“It’s a bit rude to boss me around when I’m the driver.” Klaus appeared to be more amused than anything, but a note of irritation was there.

Caroline didn’t care. Her body was visibly trembling by now, and all she could think of was blood spattered on skin and in snow. A phantom pain shot through her right hand and she clutched at her head. She finally screeched, “Just put on the fucking seatbelt!”

Heavy silence permeated the car. Klaus stared at Caroline, watching her shaking body with confused concern. Caroline focused on her breathing exercises, and quietly recited, ‘Hummingbird Drive, Oak Street, Mead Lane’ over and over to herself. A few minutes passed in painful stillness. Caroline only looked over when the tremors stopped.

Klaus had put on the seatbelt.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, raising her eyes to his. “I—I was in a car accident last year and I’m still dealing with it all. I didn’t mean to yell.” She saw, and hated, the pity in his eyes, but she could swear she saw understanding there too.

“It’s all right, love. I should’ve just listened. Are you okay for me to drive now?” She nodded, and they began the uneasy ride home.

They were about five minutes from their building when Klaus spoke again. “I was in an accident too. It was a long time ago now, but I remember how bad it was.” Her head snapped toward him. “I became a bit reckless as a result.”

She didn’t have words, or at least any that wouldn’t end in tears neither of them wanted right then. She made an aborted movement to touch his arm, pulling her hand back quickly. They barely knew each other, and Klaus didn’t seem like a very tactile person. She gave a small hum of acknowledgement before collapsing into silence once more.

Klaus parked in the building’s underground garage, opened Caroline’s door for her with a ghost of a smile. The elevator ride was short, and when they stopped on Caroline’s floor, she turned to him as she stood between the elevator doors.

“Thank you for the ride. And for being…understanding.” It felt so stilted, but she felt compelled to say something to him. She’d practically bitten his head off, after all.

He shook his head. “No need for thanks, love. Everything will eventually be okay, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. A bit cliché, but I do have some understanding of these things.”

She gave a small smile of appreciation and went into her apartment. Klaus didn’t let the elevator move until he saw her go inside.

Caroline stared into the darkness of the apartment. Considered taking a hot bath or downing half a bottle of wine, decided that the comfort of her bed would be best. Removing her makeup and changing her clothes went quickly, and she passed out before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

_The incessant beeping was the first thing Caroline noticed when she woke up. Eyes still closed, the sound grated on her senses. Repetition could be soothing in the right situations, but in that moment she was willing to deafen herself if that meant the sound would stop._

_Caroline shifted, and pain shot through her body. A groan escaped her mouth. She ached all over, especially in the middle side of her chest. Her eyes cracked open and she slowly absorbed her surroundings._

_Beige walls, ugly furniture, and the smell of antiseptic in the air made it clear that it was a hospital room. Tubes were sticking out of her skin, and she realized the annoying sound was her heartbeat monitor._

_Suddenly, memories of the crash slammed into her. The beeping increased, and it woke the figure slumped into the chair on Caroline’s left._

_“Caroline? Oh my god, Caroline, you’re awake!” Tears filled Liz’s eyes as her hands hovered above her daughter’s damaged body. One hand settled on Caroline’s hand, the other on her head. Liz rubbed her thumb back and forth, soothing her daughter as best she could. “My baby. I thought I had lost you.”_

_Sobs overtook the older woman, and Caroline wanted so badly to reach out and hug her. But the tubes and the pain and the ventilator prevented that. Questions filled her head in quick succession: what happened after she passed out? Was Tyler okay? How long had she been out? Her mom looked completely wrecked; bloodshot eyes, purple bags beneath them, sunken cheeks._

_Liz’s sobs quieted as doctors came in the room. They poked and prodded at her, and Caroline fought to stay still as to not aggravate her wounds further._

_One of the doctors began to speak while testing Caroline’s physical responses. “Miss Forbes? You were in a car accident. Your injuries were severe; you underwent surgery as soon as you arrived, and it was a very touch-and-go.”_

_The doctor’s words became garbled and the figures in the room blurred into nothingness. The world began to shift around her, and Caroline became vaguely aware that she had been reliving a memory while she slept. When the dream world righted itself, it had changed from painful memory to a complete nightmare._

_She was still lying on a bed, but the monitors weren’t beeping anymore. Instead, an uninterrupted string of sound filled the room. A doctor and several nurses stood over her. One of them helddefibrillator paddles in their hands._

_“Time of death: 9:34.”_

_She wanted to scream, hey! I’m not dead! Still kicking over here! But the people were fading away, and she heard her mother’s inconsolable cries as everything shifted again._

_Her body weighed a million pounds. She couldn’t move, and the small part of her that was aware of the dream was in full-blown panic. Above her was the bright midday sky. The angle was odd, and one horrifying moment later she realized why._

_She was in a coffin. Lid opened, but clearly in the ground while mourners gathered around the freshly dug grave. Liz appeared, completely broken. She tossed a handful of dirt that landed in Caroline’s mouth, forcing its way down her throat. The other mourners did the same, and soon she couldn’t see around the earth in her face. Piles of it was shoved onto the coffin, sealing her in._

_“It’s okay, Care.” Her eyes—the only part she could move—snapped to the left where the voice had come from. If she could shriek, she would. Tyler, bloodied, broken, and death-pale, gave her a bright smile that didn’t match the rest of him. He cuddled onto her body, every part of her screaming bloody murder. He whispered, “Now we’re together forever.”_


	4. Drinkin' You Down Like I Wanna Drown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from "bury a friend" by Billie Eilish.

The nightmares had haunted Caroline all week, varying in intensity and realism, but always leaving her with the spine-chilling feel of death. Sometimes she swore she could feel Tyler’s death-cold hands curled around her, and she’d even taken to staying up after being jolted awake, unwilling to return to the horrific dreams. Exhaustion coated her bones and all she could think about was one deep, uninterrupted night of sleep. She could only hope that Bonnie would do the polite thing and ignore how haggard she appeared.

It was her first visit to Bon’s home. Sheila lived here too, had built it awhile back but had renovations done every so often to keep up with the times. It was small, at least compared to the surrounding houses, but with only two people living there, it was the perfect size. Caroline scanned the outside of the house while she waited for the door to be answered, and could tell it was well-loved, another contrast to the neighborhood homes. The door creaked open, and Caroline turned to smile at Bonnie.

“You look terrible.” So much for wishful thinking.

Caroline narrowed her eyes. “Gee, thanks. You know just how to woo a girl.”

Bonnie winced. “Sorry. It just took me by surprise. You didn’t look like this yesterday.”

The copious amount of concealer Caroline used had covered up the worst of her sleep-deprived state. Thick lines of pale concealer smeared along the purple half-moons under her eyes and excessive coffee consumption had effectively kept the office from thinking her a zombie. But it wouldn’t fool Bonnie.

“I’ve had a bit of sleep trouble, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” She could tell Bonnie didn’t believe that for a second, so she quickly asked, “Can we go swim now? You can give me a tour later, but the sun waits for no one.”

Bonnie quirked a brow, but didn’t comment further as she led Caroline to the pool. The pool was enormous, had a sleek smoothed rock design, with mini waterfalls pouring down the sides into the main area, mimicking a zen garden. Caroline barely refrained from letting her jaw drop at the sight.

“I guess this will do,” she sniffed mockingly, chin high in the air.

Bon playfully rolled her eyes and led Caroline over to the fancy poolside chairs. “You’d be fresh out of luck if it didn’t. I’m afraid Grams decided against two pools.”

“That is incredibly selfish of her. What if I wanted one to myself? No leering men or running the risk of being shoved off a pool floaty. Skinny dipping with no consequences.”

“And no tan lines,” Bon teased back, pulling the seat cushions out from a wicker box and bringing them over.

Caroline put a hand on her chest and sighed out, “The dream.”

They secured the cushions to the seat and settled their things onto the table between them, Caroline placing her bag on the ground. They slipped out of their clothes, Bon losing her t-shirt and shorts, Caroline shimmying out of her sundress.

Caroline felt eyes on her. She turned in time to see Bon examining the white scars on her upper ribs.

“It’s from the surgery,” she explained, running fingers over the raised skin. Caroline barely spared them a thought usually, with their location being less obvious than the others, and didn’t really mind them. A couple of scars were more than a fair trade-off with being alive, and she never associated it with the wreck, even though it was a result of it.

Bon blinked, snapping her eyes to Caroline’s with contrition in them. “I didn’t mean to stare. Just haven’t seen them before.”

Caroline tried to make light of it. “It’s not like I show them off. Pearl may be lenient with dress code, but I doubt she wants that much skin on display.”

“You never know. What if a strip club owner hired you? There could be a lot of benefit in showing skin then.”

Caroline giggled, grabbed the sunscreen and began to spray it on herself. Sprayed Bonnie too, making sure every inch was covered because while they wanted to be tan, the last thing they needed was to be bathing in aloe vera by the end of the day.

The morning was peaceful, swimming lazy laps in the pool and lounging on a floaty while music pulsed through nearby speakers. The water relaxed Caroline’s tense muscles and allowed her to just _be_.

The girls were taking a break from the water, tanning on the lounge chairs in comfortable silence. Caroline had pulled out a book, was in the middle of a particularly steamy section, when Bonnie’s phone rang out.

“Oh no,” Bonnie groaned, and Caroline reluctantly pulled out of the novel to glance over. An obnoxious photo of Kol—no doubt one he’d taken himself—stained the screen with a video call.

Caroline watched as Bonnie struggled with the decision to answer or not. Caroline leaned over and tugged down Bon’s bikini strings below her clavicles. “Might as well make him suffer if he’s going to bug us, right?”

Bon’s pinking cheeks were a good sign of Caroline’s hunch. “I don’t want him to think I’m naked!”

“First of all, he already pictures you naked. Second, do as I said: make him suffer.”

In the end, Bon’s modesty lost to the idea of taunting Kol. She tapped the answer button with a winning smile on her face.

“Can I help you, Kol?” she asked, voice saccharine.

“Darling, you have not answered—”

Caroline had to smack her hand over her mouth to smother her laughter. Kol’s jaw dropped, taking in the angle the camera gave him of Bonnie with thinly veiled desire.

Kol, voice gruff, finally composed himself enough to ask, “Lass, tell me, are you naked right now?”

“Answer me first and maybe I’ll tell you.”

“I was calling to ask why you were ignoring my texts—I find it rude knowing you’ve been by your phone the whole time.”

Bon rolled her eyes and shared a look with Caroline. “I was still reading them when you called. You sent a billion of them and my phone wasn’t on me. Not everything is about you, _darling_.” Archly, she tacked on, “And no, I am not naked. I don’t have much on, but there is _some_ fabric.”

Caroline couldn’t stifle her snort at Kol’s face. His eyes narrowed at the camera before asking, “Who’s with you?”

“Hi, Kol,” Caroline teased, wiggling her fingers in greeting when Bonnie flashed the camera toward her. Bonnie adjusted her phone so they were both in the camera’s view.

There was a shift on Kol’s side, the sound muffling for a moment, before his face reappeared, eyes wild. “Are those swimsuits? Are you two half-dressed in water _without me_?!” Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, but Kol barreled forward, his face bobbing in and out of the frame as he gesticulated. “Here I believed us all to be friends. And yet you would hurt me in this way?”

Bon reminded him, “Not everything is about you. This is a me and Caroline day. Notice the lack of your name? That is intentional.”

“Incredibly rude of you, darling. No matter, I shall be over shortly.”

Caroline’s head snapped over while Bonnie yelled, “Excuse me?!”

“Yes, dear, I’ll be there soon. I’m bringing Nik and Bekah because they’re both being sour. Bekah got dumped and—” A pillow smacked Kol in the face. “I’ll explain it when we arrive. Tata!”

He hung up before either girl could say anything. They shared an annoyed look, aware that there was no stopping Kol.

Caroline sighed, “Well, I better keep reading while I still have the peace to do it. If you have any squirt guns to attack him with when he arrives, I would love to help with the ambush.”

* * *

Kol did not appreciate being attacked with squirt guns.

Caroline and Bonnie brushed off his anger. It would wilt away soon enough and they definitely didn’t regret it since he chose to cut into their personal time. Again. Bonnie led Kol into the house to throw his clothes into the dryer.

Klaus smiled as he approached with whom Caroline assumed was Bekah. “Lovely to see you again, Caroline.” He gestured to the stunning blonde at his side, who was scowling with her arms crossed. “This is my little sister, Rebekah. Do forgive her temper today—it’s quite more volatile than usual, and that is saying something.”

Rebekah’s fingers curled into claws. Caroline, not wanting to see Klaus get filleted, said, “I’ve heard a lot about you, Rebekah.”

“You can’t believe a word Kol says,” Rebekah snapped, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “He adores lying about me for his own amusement.”

“I mean, Kol _did_ talk about you, but I meant from your fashion line.”

Eyes narrowed, Rebekah analyzed Caroline shrewdly. Her clothing line, Talisman, was high-caliber and never made the cut in Caroline’s budgets. She didn’t know much about her personally, but the clothes she designed were a girl’s dream to own.

“Yes, well, as long as you don’t believe Kol and Nik’s lies, you and I will get along just fine.”

“Dearest Bekah, I’ve said nothing bad about you in my life. Ever. Unless you count my commentary on your atrocious taste in men,” Klaus drawled, mouth curving at his sister’s scowl.

Caroline jumped in. “Klaus, keep taunting her and you might find yourself in a shallow grave come morning. And Kol would take your apartment and harass me until the end of my days, so I need you to stop for my own sanity.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It is my prerogative as Bekah’s older brother to protect her. I find it difficult when she insists on courting horrible men.”

“Rebekah is a big girl, I’m sure she can handle herself. Her nails look pretty sharp.”

“Thank you, Caroline. My nails _are_ wonderfully sharp.”

Klaus looked as if he had another biting rejoinder on his tongue, so Caroline looped her arm through Rebekah’s and led her to the pool house where she could change.

“All right, Mikaelson,” Caroline called out, turning from the closing door of the pool house. Klaus’s eyes flitted up to hers, and she pretended not to notice how he’d been staring at her ass. It was great, after all. “Go get changed.”

His smile turned lascivious. “Eager to see more of me, love?”

She scoffed, crossing her arms. If she maneuvered them so her breasts popped out more, that was _her_ business. “You wish. Kol will reappear soon and I’d like some buffers from the innuendos we all know he plans to make.”

“He’ll make them whether I’m there or not. I think you just want to see me shirtless.”

She shrugged, unwilling to comment on that. “Okay then, have fun sitting around in jeans in the sun while the rest of us have a good time. I’m sure Kol will have no commentary at all about his sulky, artist big brother being a killjoy. He is always extremely tactful.”

“I don’t like your tone,” drawled Kol. Speak of the devil. He had slipped around Bonnie as they walked back through the deck doors, wearing a pair of swim trunks. “I am a delightful asset to any gathering. Just ask Bonnie lass, she’ll back me up.”

“No I won’t,” Bon deadpanned.

“Dearest, if you keep saying these things I’ll start to think you don’t like me.”

“Promise?”

Caroline rolled her eyes at the obvious flirting. Shoving Klaus’s shoulder toward the small building Rebekah was exiting, she grabbed more chair cushions for their guests. Rebekah nodded when Caroline finished, and she figured that was as close to a thank you as she’d get. Rebekah seemed the prickly type, but who was she to judge?

Caroline made sure everyone was wearing sunscreen—even Kol, despite his attempts at bolting—and as she sprayed down Klaus she tried not to ogle. Because _damn_ he kept himself in shape. Her thoughts of licking the lines of his abs spoke volumes about her dry spell—as well as her urge to trace his tattoos with her tongue—and the last thing she wanted was to further inflate his ego.

Bonnie and Rebekah had made their way into the pool and were chatting quietly by the edge. Caroline padded over, sitting down on the concrete and dipping her feet into the cool water. She tuned into the conversation as she settled.

“That bastard is lucky there were no knives around,” Rebekah spouted. “I guarantee that’s why he took me to a gelato shop to do it—no sharp instruments to maim him with.”

Caroline asked, “Who and what are we talking about?”

“My loser ex-fiancé. We were together for three years, shared an apartment in Italy, and then he claims that I’m too much to handle.”

“After three years and a proposal? You’d think he’d know who he was with by then.”

“Exactly my point!” Rebekah flung a hand up in exasperation. “It doesn’t matter. I got the last laugh, since I own the apartment. I imagine he’s made a significant dent in his bank account with all those nights at a hotel.”

Caroline’s eyebrows rose. “You only kicked him out? No revenge or anything?”

Rebekah looked at her incredulously. “Who do you think I am? I knifed all of his suits and cut holes into the pockets of his jackets. Then I packed up his garbage in boxes and filled them with uncapped shampoo bottles and the feathers from his pillow. I kept all of his charger USB ports and cut tiny little lines into the cord so that it’ll fall apart not long after he replaces the wall pieces. I also bribed the maid that works his hotel floor to put just a little bit of sand in his socks any time she gets the chance.”

“There’s the Bekah I know and love,” Bonnie murmured warmly.

“I couldn’t let Alexander leave without some form of payback. That is three years of my life I’ll never get back.”

“You should have called Kol.” Klaus swam over to the girls, evidently unashamed with his eavesdropping. His wild curls were matted onto his head and little beads of water slipped down his shoulders back into the pool. It was a look that worked for Caroline. “He is the master of mischief.”

“I didn’t feel like being detained by the police, which surely would have happened had I contacted him.”

“It would’ve been bloody amazing!” Kol yelled from the other side, climbing the stairs and getting a drink of water. He continued, “I can’t help it if my plans are too brilliant for the authorities to appreciate. And Alexander would have ratted me out in a second, that little toad. He was no fun. You’re better off, Bekah, truly.”

“Yes, well, I know that _now_ , you wanker.”

Caroline eyed Kol. There was no way she’d let her guard down and be shoved into the water, and there was no doubt in her mind that he would do it if given the chance. She was so focused on making sure that particular Mikaelson stayed away that she didn’t notice a different one creeping closer.

There was a brief moment where she registered a hand circling her ankle before she was unceremoniously yanked beneath the water, thankful that she at least sucked in a bit of air before going down. Surfacing, she glared at Klaus as he doubled over with laughter, Kol his mirror image up on the ground. A quick glance showed Rebekah smiling and Bonnie poorly attempting to suppress her amusement.

“You stinky, slimy, son of a—”

Klaus splashed water at her before she could finish. This time some water got into her mouth and that was when fight mode kicked on.

Caroline shoved a wave of the water at Klaus, still chuckling to himself and therefore not paying attention. He spluttered, forcing the liquid from his mouth before returning her attack. It was silly, uncoordinated, and also the most mindless she’d felt in months, and it was wonderful. Kol joined in the fight quickly, cannonballing his body to maximize the splash that ended up drawing Bonnie and Rebekah into it.

Caroline launched herself at Klaus. He turned his back to her as she latched on, legs wrapping around his torso like a vise and hands clutching around his shoulders. She threw her weight around, trying to maneuver quickly so he couldn’t maintain his balance. The fifth time she succeeded. The split-second panic and shock on his face as they went down would amuse her for a long time.

Beneath the water, Caroline became aware of just how intimate their bodies were. It wasn’t inherently sexual, but her breasts were crushed onto his back, and every movement of her torso rubbed very sensitive areas along his body. She could feel her face flush, and she finally released her death grip to launch to the surface. The exertion could thankfully cover her bout of embarrassment as Klaus followed her up, although she didn’t miss the little glint in his eye.

Klaus surrendered first, hands held up in the air in defeat. Kol gave up when all three girls focused on him, and anything he might have said was drowned out by their victory screeches.

“And _that_ is why you don’t mess with Caroline-freakin’-Forbes!”

* * *

Hanging out in Bonnie Bennett’s living room was not a scenario Klaus had ever anticipated. Kol and Rebekah had been here plenty of times before, sometimes for school projects, mostly to just spend time together. Rebekah was slouched into an armchair, tapping away at her phone absentmindedly. Kol had stretched himself out on the couch, his head on Bonnie’s lap despite her protests.

Klaus sat in the armchair opposite Bekah, feet propped on the matching ottoman, watching Bonnie scroll through movie options. Movie night had been scheduled for ‘Caroline and Bonnie Day,’ and neither were willing to deviate from it just because of some extra guests.

Caroline had vanished up the stairs to shower, something Klaus struggled not to picture. Having her wrapped around him earlier plagued his thoughts already and the absolute last thing he needed right then was a boner.

Klaus fiddled on his phone until Caroline reemerged in a sweater and leggings with brushed-back hair. He offered her a small smile when she hesitated in the arched doorway.

“Hey guys,” she chirped, walking over to Bonnie and plopping down in front of her. “Can you braid my hair, Bon? And what are we watching?”

Bonnie gripped the brush handle and started separating Caroline’s hair. “We haven’t been able to decide. Kol keeps vetoing everything we suggest.”

“It’s not my fault that your taste in film is atrocious, darling.”

Bekah piped in, “ _I_ suggested Gone Girl, but Kol insisted that it was just me living vicariously.”

“Tell me you wouldn’t do something like that to Alexander and I’ll reconsider.” When Bekah remained silent, Kol smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

Caroline appeared to be holding in a laugh as she spoke. “Since it was _you_ that crashed our day, I think Bonnie and I should pick regardless of anyone else’s preferences. And I’m all about a classic. You know exactly what I’m thinking, Bon.”

Bonnie grinned, using one hand to hold Caroline’s hair in place while the other one pulled up The Princess Diaries. Not something he particularly wanted to watch—Bekah had forced him to watch it often when they were younger—but Kol’s groan made it worth it.

Bonnie stood when the doorbell rang, making Kol grumble to himself at being disturbed. Caroline popped up and stared him down.

“All right, buddy. Move it or lose it.”

Kol peered up at the blonde with one eye. “I’m rather comfortable. I’m sure Nik’s lap has plenty of room.”

Klaus nearly choked on his saliva, and Caroline’s cheeks turned pink.

“Fine, be like that.” Caroline turned, and one swift and overly-hopeful moment, Klaus thought she would sit in his lap if only out of spite. Instead she forcefully sat on Kol’s torso, shifting around until she was satisfied with Kol’s wheezing. Smiling serenely at him, she said, “Are you still comfortable? I feel rather cozy myself.”

Kol’s claim of “I’m peachy, darling” was undermined by how he rasped it out.

Neither he or Bekah hid their glee at Kol’s predicament. Bonnie barely spared the image a glance when she returned with two pizzas, paper plates, cups, and a two-liter to split. Instead of getting up, Caroline merely stretched forward to get her food and drink, keeping herself firmly on Kol’s stomach.

“Caroline, my sweet, are you going to let me up?” Kol inquired, his voice saccharine.

“Only if you apologize and agree to not sit on the couch,” she answered.

Kol huffed. “Why are you banishing me from the couch?!”

She eyed him in exasperation. “Because you’ll try to cuddle up to Bonnie, and since _I_ plan to cuddle up to her, I don’t need you interfering. You can switch places with Klaus or Rebekah, but you can’t stay here. Unless you would like to slowly suffocate to death.”

Kol’s face scrunched up before reluctantly muttering an agreement. Caroline let him up—after jumping on his abdomen one more time—and Kol smirked as he approached Klaus.

Leaning down, he whispered, “I’ll add this favor to your tab. Go and sidle on up to your girl.”

Torn between punching that look off his brother’s face or thanking him, Klaus did neither, allowing Kol the armchair while he moved over to the couch. Bonnie sat on one end, and Caroline had already curled up next to her, head resting on Bonnie’s shoulder while they ate. He gingerly sat down on Caroline’s right as the movie began.

The pizza was good, and he enjoyed himself despite his misgivings. Not because he was invested in the movie per say, but because he kept sneaking glances at Caroline. He wondered if she realized she mouthed along with the dialogue, if she noticed herself mirroring the facial expressions. About halfway through the film, she moved her head from Bonnie’s shoulder to her lap, legs curled up so they weren’t touching Klaus.

“You can put your feet in my lap, sweetheart,” he whispered, relishing in the slight flush of her face. She stretched her feet out, and Klaus settled his hands on her shins. He absentmindedly traced patterns on her leggings, fingers moving up and down slowly.

When the movie wrapped up, Caroline groaned before sitting up, withdrawing her legs and stretching her arms above her head. “I almost fell asleep. I don’t know how I’m going to stay awake for the drive home.”

“Are you saying that ‘Caroline and Bonnie Day’ does _not_ include a sleepover?” Kol shouted incredulously.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Kol, that is what I’m saying.”

“That is preposterous! I think we should all sleep here, really do the friendship thing properly. I call sleeping in Bonnie’s room. In fact, I think I’ll go get a head start on that—”

“Don’t you dare,” Bonnie said, mouth twisted in a scowl but a twinkle of amusement in her eye.

“My love, my dearest, my angel—”

“Absolutely not.”

Kol turned to Caroline imploringly. “Sleepovers are an essential part of any bonding, I don’t see why you aren’t insistent on staying.”

Caroline responded, “I have things to do tomorrow and I don’t want to drive back into the city in the morning.”

“But pillow fights! Freezing bras! Playfully fighting until it shifts into something a little more—”

“Are you trying to get murdered by the women in this room?”

“I’m just saying I don’t understand your reluctance. Tomorrow’s Sunday, anyway, what could you possibly have to do that’s more important than Bon-Bon and I?”

Blink-and-you-miss-it quick, panic overtook Caroline’s face, eyes wide and face white. Klaus narrowed his eyes. Why would sleeping over cause such alarm in her?

Quickly recovering, she quipped, “Not all of us can wile away our weekends. And no amount of arguing is going to change my mind.”

Bonnie, who had remained silent throughout their argument, finally said, “Besides, you wouldn’t be allowed in my room regardless. I don’t trust you anywhere near my underwear.”

That started their own argument, giving the other three time to gather their things. When Bekah turned to fetch her bathing suit from where it was drying outside, Klaus approached Caroline.

“Are you all right, love?” He murmured, making sure Kol couldn’t hear him.

Her bright blue eyes widened slightly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

He hummed. He knew something was bothering her, but pushing her on it may cause her to pull away. “Just a feeling, sweetheart. Just a feeling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never meant to go over three months without an update, but for some reason this chapter just would not cooperate with me despite it being outlined. Ideally posting will never take this long again, but my muse is a fickle bitch at best. Let me know what you think!


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